Pirates Urged to Consider Blockbuster Paul Skenes Trade With Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked to Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes from the moment the defending champions began losing starters to injury.
More news: Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Reveals What’s Wrong With Tommy Edman Amid Struggles
Meanwhile, the Pirates are under pressure from many around the baseball industry to trade away their biggest asset in Skenes, who is one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. The right-hander is sporting a 2.15 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 0.916 WHIP across 12 starts this season.
Former general manager Jim Bowden has called for the Pirates to consider dealing Skenes to the Dodgers, a team that has a depleted rotation and bullpen. While L.A. would receive a bonafide ace, the return package would be quite the cost for the Dodgers.
Bowden’s trade idea features the Dodgers sending top prospect Dalton Rushing, outfielder Andy Pages, left-hander Jackson Ferris, and right-hander Landon Knack.
“The Dodgers could offer the Pirates a long-term answer at catcher (Rushing) and a solution for left field (Pages), improving their lineup for this season and years to come,” Bowden writes. “Ferris, 21, isn’t ready for the majors yet, but has the stuff to become a top-of-the-rotation starter if his command and control improve. Knack would slot into the Pirates’ rotation right away, effectively replacing Skenes. On the other side of the trade, the Dodgers’ postseason rotation, if healthy, could be Skenes, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow. Yikes!”
It is no secret the Dodgers rotation would look quite unbeatable with Skenes at the forefront. But then again, L.A. looked invincible after an offseason that included the acquisitions of Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki.
Just over two months into the season, neither Snell or Sasaki is in the rotation. The two-time Cy Young winner made just two starts for the Dodgers before being placed on the injured list on April 6.
The idea of Skenes joining the Dodgers rotation is a good one, but realistically won’t pan out the way people expect it to. Adding star power to the roster certainly sends a statement, but health is paramount for every team — especially the Dodgers.
More news: Dodgers Trade for Alexis Diaz, Move Another Reliever to 60-Day Injured List
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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Kick rocks~Skenes won’t be wearing Dodger blue anytime soon
I’m sure the Dodgers would consider it, but, the Pirates wouldn’t.
The latest update is the Pirates are not listening to teams that are interested in Paul Skenes, so seems like no trade for the ace will transpire.
Dodger not stupid I hope if Pages and Rushing become corner stone like predicted they can put Pirates in play off Knack can be decent 3 rd starter and Ferris become a number 4starter you made Pirate better and mortgage Dodger future.
you’re urged to go jump in a lake. Skenes is a Pirate. Go spend another billion on someone else.
LOL of course a Dodger fansite would fantasize about acquiring Skenes. The reality is the Pirates would pretty much demand all your top 10 prospects plus young players like Pages on the roster and Yamamoto and Roki in return. Pirates would then flip those two for even more prospects and young MLB ready talent.
The Pirates should only consider a trade that would set them up like the Padres -Soto trade that has the Nationals poised to break out in a couple years.
Trade away , Rushing, knack, Glasnow, and Conforto for Skenes don’t trade Pages . Dodgers will regret getting rid of Pages.
Bro no. No. No. Trading knack who just pitched a Gem against the Yankees for a dude that could get injured at any point and time, nah man, knack has almost no time on the IL and has proven himself to be a great starter. Rushing is the backup piece we need, if you have 2 good catchers, keep it that way.
Calm down butt pirate fan. First things last, whoever wrote this article is a complete moron. They blow up there whole case for the trade in the last paragraph of the story. You don’t sell off the whole team and its future for a single hundred mph hurler.
It was Jim Bowden talking. There is a reason he is no longer an MLB GM and its ridiculous notions like this. Sp yes, a complete MO-ron.
Jim Bowden talks outta his backside. Nothing he ever says is anywhere close to plausible. He makes suggestions like a gamer playing GM mode in MLB The Show. It’s a wonder how he even got a sniff of a real GM job in the first place….
The latest update surrounding Paul Skenes says the Pirates are flat out rejecting all interested teams for their ace, so a trade for the right-hander is highly unlikely.
This about the dumbest, unrealistic idea ever. Pages and Rushing are very important pieces to the Dodgers. Knack may very well turn into a respectable pitcher. So far he seems to be quite durable which a good many of the other pitchers the Dodgers have spent money on are not! Skenes is a very good pitcher right now, however I would bet that with the velocity he throws he will soon be the next TJ surgery candidate
I agree, Dave. Gutting the farm system for Skenes would hurt the Dodgers, especially since he’s a candidate for TJ. The latest update is the Pirates are rejecting any interest from teams surrounding their ace, so a trade seems far-fetched at this point.